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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27255064">Misfires in Promepolis</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/StumblingBlock/pseuds/StumblingBlock'>StumblingBlock</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Promare (2019)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Although It's Gonna Go to Some Dark Places, And then Galo Gets Involved, Buckle in kids, Galo Saves One Burnish, Humor, It Spirals from There, M/M, Reluctant Political Dissident Galo, Underground Burnish Escape Network, You Can Probably Guess How This Is Gonna Go, this is gonna get emotional</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-07 00:49:01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,051</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27255064</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/StumblingBlock/pseuds/StumblingBlock</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Galo Thymos, who is apparently now a Burnish sympathizer even though he doesn’t fucking want to be, meets Lio Fotia under slightly less strained circumstances.</p><p>They still fight, like, all the time.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Lio Fotia/Galo Thymos</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>51</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Misfires in Promepolis</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Man, I liked Promare.  It was the most ridiculous dumb fun I have had in a while and I instantly had like five AUs from just watching the thing.  I'm sorry for how I wrote Galo.  He was surprisingly hard for me to write, so this is good practice.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A panic attack.</p><p>This is a thing that can happen when exposed to serious fires, and sometimes it can lead to shock, and sometimes it can lead to trying to jump out a window to escape the blaze even though Galo is literally only three feet away, and either way Galo’s way of dealing with it is to flag down the nearest paramedic.</p><p>This time Galo is the one having a panic attack.  And the only window is on street-level, so even if Galo tried to jump out of it, it would not do him very much good and he’d probably get tangled in the blinds.</p><p>He could go back out the door he came in from??  Galo’s brain keeps voting for this option, because if he walks calmly out and closes the door and locks it—and then follows the same steps he used to get inside—there will no longer be a Burnish in the pizza oven.  That’s just science.</p><p><em>Yeah</em>, Galo thinks, staring in increasingly forlorn horror as Pizza Guy, who cooks margherita pizza to a golden brown so perfect Galo is both nauseous with dismay and actively hungry right now—that Pizza Guy—sticks his hands deeper into the oven and the unmistakable glow of Burnish fire flares brighter.  <em>Science.</em></p><p>As tempting as it is to turn around and attempt to leave, that is not what a hero does, so Galo squares his shoulders.</p><p>“Um,” he says, loudly, “You guys missing a spare key?”</p><p>Pizza Guy lets out a shriek and jumps so hard he smacks his head into the side of the oven.  He also lights the counter on fire.</p><p>Galo is already sprinting for the fire extinguisher.</p><p> </p><p>So Pizza Guy’s name is Roci.</p><p>Roci has just turned sixteen and he’s saving up for either culinary school or chemistry.  He hasn’t decided yet.  He lets Galo give him the entire fire safety talk without interrupting or anything, which is better than Remi <em>or </em>Lucia.  He’s a nice guy.</p><p>He has a little sister.  She’s five.  He’s scared she’ll turn out to be like him.</p><p>“You know you can’t just start fires, man,” Galo tells him.  “Right?  It’s super dangerous.”</p><p>“I know,” Roci says miserably.  “I’ve always kept it under control.  But it’s been getting worse lately.  I’m scared I’ll flare up when I’m sleeping or something.”  He swallows.  “I thought maybe if I let it out some…  And the oven seemed like it would be safe.  I’m sorry.”</p><p>The oven is probably a safe spot for fires, but normal fires don’t leap out like they have minds of their own.</p><p>Galo frowns hard.  He tries to think.  He instantly gives himself a headache.</p><p>“You should have the fire extinguisher next to you at all times if you’re handling fire.”</p><p>Roci nods furiously.</p><p>“And the phone.  Make sure the phone is nearby in case you need emergency services.”  Galo pauses a moment.  Wait, no.  Hold up.  Is he tacitly signing off on the use of Burnish powers?  He shouldn’t be doing that.</p><p>“I will, yes sir.”</p><p>“Have you ever burned yourself?”  Galo asks, suddenly concerned.  “What do you know about first aid?”</p><p>Roci gives him a faint smile.</p><p>“If anyone gives you trouble, you come to me, okay?”  Says Galo’s mouth without much input from Galo’s brain.  Galo’s brain briefly rallies, and tries to point out that it’s supposed to be the other way around because this guy is Burnish and he could hurt someone.</p><p>Roci gives him such a stunned look at Galo’s offer that Galo’s brain gets told to sit in the corner and think about what it said.</p><p>“Really?”</p><p>“Yeah, really.”  Galo sticks his thumb up against the Burning Rescue insignia on his jacket.  “This isn’t just for show, you know.  When people are in danger, you can count on the world’s number one firefighter to help!  I don’t back down!”</p><p>“Didn’t you just get certified a month ago?”  Roci asks.</p><p>Pssh, like that’s relevant.</p><p>Galo puts both hands on Roci’s shoulders and stares down hard.  Roci stares up, all acne and gawky teenager.  Galo narrows his eyes.</p><p>“Now I’m gonna need you to answer this honestly.”</p><p>“Y-yes sir?”</p><p>“Are you a terrorist?”</p><p>There is a moment of absolute silence.</p><p>Roci blinks once.  “Uh.  No.  No sir?”</p><p>“Oh okay, in that case,” says Galo, straightening back up.  “We’re good, man.”</p><p>“…Right,” says Roci, brow furrowing.      </p><p> </p><p>The next day, Galo has the personal pleasure of arresting the crazed and violent leader of Mad Burnish, and if he has any momentarily bewildered thoughts about the fact that the big scary leader is actually a scrawny kid with really, <em>really</em> fluffy hair, those thoughts are pushed aside when he thinks of Roci and people like him.</p><p><em>Good riddance</em>, Galo thinks, as Lipo Fabernacle or whatever his name is gets tossed into the truck with his comrades.  No more terrorists.  Now good kids like Roci won’t have to be afraid of Mad Burnish making everyone scared of them. </p><p>Galo makes a show of dusting off his hands triumphantly.  Aina whaps him on the back of the head.</p><p>When they get back to the station to clean up before they get some celebration pizza, Roci is already there.</p><p>He does not appear to have come in professional capacity—aka, bearing pizza—but Galo likes his friends even when they don’t bring him food.</p><p>“Pizza Guy!”  Galo shouts joyfully.  “Did you hear?  Justice has won this day!”</p><p>“Uh, that’s great,” says Roci, who looks weirdly sweaty, for some reason.  “Um, Mr. Thymos, can I talk to you for a second?”</p><p>Huh.  He sounds kind of freaked.</p><p>Galo waves to the rest of the team as they argue about who’s showering first, and steers Roci down the hall, where it’s quieter. </p><p>“What’s up, man?”  Galo asks seriously.  “There trouble?”</p><p>Roci takes a kind of shuddery breath.  “Did you mean what you said about helping me out?”</p><p>“Course I did,” Galo says, squaring his shoulders.  There’s trouble in Promepolis?  Sign him the fuck up.</p><p>Roci looks up at him, but there’s something in his gaze that makes Galo’s stomach sink.</p><p>“The… the Freeze Force was at my mom’s place today.  I think—I think I gotta hide.”</p><p> </p><p>Rescuing people is Galo’s purpose.  He lives rescuing, he breathes rescuing, and he would eat rescuing for breakfast if it came in those little breakfast burrito things.</p><p>What, you think you’re gonna put somebody in front of him and <em>not</em> have him rescue them?  Ha ha, nope.  Not today, bad guys.</p><p>BAM.</p><p>
  <em>Rescued.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>So having a fugitive in his apartment is a lot like how his apartment is normally, only it’s more cramped.  Roci is really polite, and also really afraid of Galo for some reason, but they bond over horrible reality TV.  Also Roci makes Galo pizza one time and Galo maybe cries from how good it is.</p><p>And let’s just get this one thing straight—it’s not like this makes Galo a Burnish sympathizer or anything, okay?  Because Roci isn’t a criminal. </p><p>He’s just a guy who happens to have some crazy fire abilities. </p><p>Obviously.</p><p>Shit happens.</p><p>Galo’s issue is making sure his buddy has a comfortable stay while Galo waits for Kray to get back to him.  Stuff is probably really crazy at the governor’s office now that Mad Burnish is done for.  When Kray has a minute it’s gonna be like a ten minute phone call to clear things up and until then, this is just two bros hanging out.</p><p>Until one day, Galo comes home from work and there are two people camped out on his couch.</p><p>“Huh?”  Says Galo, hopping on one foot as he tries to remove his shoe.</p><p>“Mr. Thymos!”  Roci scrambles.  “Um, uh, this is—”</p><p>“Naviah!”  Yelps the girl, and falls off the couch with a crash.  They both rush to help her back up.</p><p>“Hey, nice to meet you,” says Galo, as he places her back on her feet.  Naviah is staring at Galo like he has two heads.</p><p>“You remember that classmate of mine?”  Roci says kind of hesitantly.  “The one who’s… like me?”</p><p>“Oh,” says Galo, who is perhaps not the best with names (but makes up for it by being number one in Promepolis).  “That Naviah!  Hey!  Good to meet you.”</p><p>“Y-yeah, likewise,” she says, and burrows into her hoodie.</p><p>“So, Naviah’s dad found out,” Roci says, “That she’s, you know.  And he told her to get out or he’d call Freeze Force.  And she didn’t have anywhere to go…”</p><p>“Oh no,” Galo says, face falling.  “This is bad.”  Naviah flinches.</p><p>“I can go—”</p><p>“I don’t have another couch.”  Galo is lost in the mental math.  He scratches his head.  “Shit.  You’re gonna have to take the bed.”</p><p>“I can sleep on the floor—”  Roci begins.</p><p>“Nope,” says Galo, whose back already preemptively hates him.  He’s got extra pillows somewhere.  In the closet?  Maybe?  Naviah looks like she’s gonna cry.  Galo decides to go make hot chocolate.  He will find pillows later.</p><p>Later that evening, hands planted on his knees, Galo spreads himself more firmly in the repurposed fold-out chair that is his domain.  The teenagers have completely taken over his couch.</p><p>“I need to ask you a difficult question, Naviah.  It’s important that you answer me honestly.”</p><p>It’s kind of difficult to project any kind of authority in a squeaky fold out chair covered with tiny pizza slices, but Galo is nothing if not determined.</p><p>She nods at him, shoulders tightening.</p><p>Galo looks her dead in the eye.  He stares into her very being.  He sees the flames of her soul.</p><p>“Are you a terrorist?”  He asks.</p><p>              </p><p>And now Galo has two fugitives in his apartment.  He grabs a sleeping bag for himself from the station, for when they have those really big fires that just have to be allowed to burn out, and none of them can go home yet.  Ignis sees him do it and raises an eyebrow.</p><p>“Uh,” Galo says, “My cousin’s visiting from out of town.”</p><p>Varys sticks his head into the room and frowns.  “What happened to your couch?”</p><p>“I have two cousins!”  Yelps Galo, and flees the room before he can talk himself into a corner.</p><p> </p><p>A week later and there are two kids in the bunk room.  They looked haunted, and not like they’re here just to ride the big fancy truck and wear cool hats.  Galo’s stomach tightens as soon as he walks in because something is wrong and if it can be fixed with really quality firefighting, then by god, <em>firefighting will be had</em>.</p><p>“You’re Galo,” says the little boy.</p><p>The little girl bursts out.  “Naviah’s friend?”</p><p>Ah.</p><p>The little girl, Mimi, talks a lot faster than his brain can keep up with and has sparks coming out of her fingers as she gets more excited, and well—</p><p>Now Galo has four fugitives living in his apartment. </p><p>Galo leans over to ask Roci in a whisper, “So, like, they’re probably not terrorists either, right?”</p><p>Roci gives him a look.  Naviah casts her eyes up towards the ceiling.</p><p> </p><p>Galo does not mind having fugitives in his apartment, which may not be the kind of statement that anyone in civil service should make, but it is nevertheless true.</p><p>However.</p><p>Galo’s apartment is tiny and cramped and only three people can fit on the couch at any given time, which leaves a fold-out chair, and the floor.  Four extra people to feed is not the easiest thing to do on a firefighter’s salary.  Funds are beginning to run low. </p><p>Double however:</p><p>The four fugitives in his apartment <em>shouldn’t even be fugitives.</em>  Yeah, at first there’s novelty in not going to school and having all the playtime they can handle, but they have been cooped up in his apartment for way too long now.  Kids should be moving around more.  They should be having kid-sized adventures!  They should not have to fear for their lives if they want smoothies.</p><p>And Kray is still unreachable, which is beginning to piss Galo off.</p><p>“Listen,” Naviah says one afternoon, while Roci walks the kids through how to knead pizza dough, “I appreciate what you’re doing for us.  But we can’t just stay here forever.”</p><p>“I know,” Galo sighs.  “When I get ahold of Gov Kray—”</p><p>“Look, you don’t even know if they’re going to let us go,” Naviah says dismissively, which makes Galo frown because <em>yes</em>, he <em>does</em> know.  Gov Kray is a good guy.  “Promepolis isn’t getting any less dangerous for people like us.”</p><p>Galo faces her fully, astonished.  “You want to leave Promepolis?”</p><p>Galo has never been outside Promepolis.  Admittedly, Galo has never even entertained the thought.  There are just so many people to help <em>right here.</em></p><p>“There’s, um.  There’s supposed to be a place Burnish can go.  Where they take care of each other.”</p><p>“Huh?”  Galo blinks.</p><p>“A Burnish camp,” she explains.  “Like… a safe haven.  A sanctuary.”</p><p>Galo tries to figure out a way to tactfully say that while they’re all pretty mature and good kids, they’re still kids, and he can’t just let them go be unsupervised in a weird mystery camp for pyromaniacs.  He settles on, “Um.”</p><p>“Mimi and Mikon can’t go home,” Naviah says.  “Their parents got captured.” </p><p>Galo still hasn’t worked out a good way to ask if their parents were terrorists, so he keeps his mouth shut. </p><p>“And Roci doesn’t want his mom or sister in danger.  He can’t go back either.  None of us have a home in Promepolis anymore.”</p><p>“You have a home with me,” Galo says, a little saddened now.</p><p>And Naviah glares at him.  “We don’t exactly want you caught either, Galo.  Isn’t it getting to the point where it won’t be possible for us to leave the city at all?”</p><p>Galo wants to argue that point, but… he’s seen the checkpoints. </p><p>It’s weird.  Mad Burnish is over, so why does it seem like the Burnish are being hunted harder than ever?</p><p>Galo is no good at those puzzles.</p><p>But Galo is good at having friends.</p><p>“<em>Lucia</em>!”  He yells as he storms into her office.</p><p>“Sup?”  Lucia says, flicking her goggles up.</p><p>“You busy?  I wanna ask you some questions and stuff.”</p><p>Lucia wheels her chair halfway around.  “You have my attention.”</p><p>“So I have this friend,” Galo begins, “Uh.  They—<em>he—</em>has a problem where he’s here.”  He holds his hands out to help Lucia conceptualize, then moves them.  “And he wants to <em>not</em> be here.”</p><p>“I see.”  Lucia steeples her hands together.  “But suicide is out of the question, I presume?”</p><p>“What—<em>no—</em>they want to not be in Promepolis!  <em>God</em>, Lucia.”</p><p>“He,” Lucia says absently.</p><p>Galo’s brow furrows.  “He who?”</p><p>“Never mind.  So they want to leave Promepolis,” Lucia taps a finger to her chin.  “Presumably there are forces that will try to stop them?”</p><p>“Yes?”</p><p>“Smuggling operation,” she says, “Live cargo.  Multiple cases.  If we’re talking about who can’t travel freely right now…”  She narrows her eyes and grins a little wider.  “Well, well, <em>well</em>, Mr. Thymos!”</p><p>“Uh,” says Galo, sensing danger.  He backs up a step.  “You know what, I think my friends don’t need help.  Because they are doing great!  And also imaginary.  We should go fight some fires now.”</p><p>Lucia narrows her eyes at him.  “You know I am the very definition of the law, Galo.  Me?  Do something illegal?  <em>Pssh</em>.”</p><p>Galo nods obediently.  If Lucia says it, it must be true. </p><p>She winks.</p><p>Galo tilts his head in confusion.</p><p>He doesn’t realize it, but he’s the splitting image of the screensaver on Lucia’s phone, where he has been photoshopped to have pet ears and the caption at the bottom reads: Biscuits?</p><p>Lucia swivels back to her desk.  “Tragic, really, how there are people who step outside the law these days.  Why, you know what I heard?”  She blinks her eyes wide at Galo.  “Lately, there have been <em>Burnish</em> sneaking out of our fine, upstanding city!  Isn’t that just so sad?  Ignoring our legal processes like that.  Ignoring the Freeze Force’s efforts to keep us all safe in our beds at night.”  She tugs her goggles back down.  “Terrible, really.”</p><p>“Terrible,” Galo echoes.</p><p>“There’s even this guy,” says Lucia, “This guy who you can go meet up with—he’s called Helios—and he knows the way to some secret Burnish settlement!  Can you believe that?  So illegal.  He takes them with him, and poof!  Freeze Force is thwarted yet again.  <em>So illegal, Galo.”  </em>Lucia shivers slightly.  She has a slightly dazed smile on her face.</p><p>“Well, thanks, Lucia,” Galo says kindly.  “I know you tried to help and I appreciate that.”</p><p>He walks away, still mulling over the problem of how to help the kids escape Promepolis.  He is now better educated on how illegal this is, but that doesn’t help him as much as Lucia probably thought it would. </p><p>From Lucia’s office there is the distinct sound of a tiny body facepalming full-force into its safety gloves.</p><p> </p><p>Galo bolts awake in the middle of the night, wide-eyed, clutching his pillow.</p><p>Oh.</p><p>Oh<em> holy shit.</em></p><p>He has the <em>best</em> idea.</p><p> </p><p>“Lucia,” Galo says, sidling into her office, “Hey, so.”  Lucia swivels to meet him.  “You know how we were talking about that guy before?”</p><p>“Oh,” she blinks innocently.  Or as innocently as a shark-toothed mutant can.  “<em>Yes?”</em></p><p>“I was thinking that maybe if you knew anything about Helios… like where to meet, or how to call him, that kind of stuff?  I could.  You know.  <em>Find him</em>.  And tell him that what he’s doing is like super illegal in person.  Because that is my responsibility as a civil servant!”</p><p>Galo strikes a pose to cover up his real intentions.</p><p>See, Galo isn’t going to tell this guy that what he’s doing is illegal.  That’s the cool part.</p><p>If this guy helps the kids get to safety, Galo will probably even high five him.  They will become friends and Galo will visit the kids on his day off to make sure they’re doing okay.</p><p>Galo is such a genius.</p><p>Lucia deadpans.  “I never would have thought of that.  You are so smart.”</p><p>Galo puffs up proudly.</p><p> </p><p>Turns out the kids have all heard of Helios too.</p><p>Roci perks up a little, “He and his people… they don’t kill.”</p><p>“They taught me how to control my powers,” Naviah says, wide-eyed.  “It’s how Roci and I met.  They taught a whole bunch of us, even though it could have gotten them killed.  And I should have gone with them then, but my dad—”  She hugs herself.</p><p>This prompts Mikon to hug her knees.  Galo’s heart twists.  Mimi tugs on the bottom of Galo’s jacket.</p><p>“Mom and dad,” she says, “Before the bad guys came, they did that too.  I know ‘Lio.  He was nice.”  She squishes her face up in an exaggerated approximation of a glare.  “But he made <em>this</em> face when he heard how the bad guys treated the Burnish!”</p><p>Galo snorts.</p><p> </p><p>Getting through the checkpoints is nerve-wracking, but Galo claims he’s testing out new gear for Lucia, he gets through pretty easy.  </p><p>This is because Lucia is terrifying.</p><p>Galo will probably not enjoy the consequences of lying to her later, but right now he has four kids hiding in the storage compartment, along with a lot of fruit snacks and juice boxes for emergency lunch breaks.</p><p>(Galo has seen plenty of spy movies.  And do the spies ever have three flavors of fruit roll ups?  No.  No, they do not.)</p><p>(Galo hums his own theme song as he drives them out of the city.)</p><p>They leave their vehicle in a parking lot and hike the rest of the way.</p><p>Galo doesn’t really need any further instructions when he sees a cave up ahead, although he remembers the instructions about how to approach.</p><p>Naviah is the first to take off her jacket, and put her hands up behind her head.  She starts walking forward and Roci is right behind her.</p><p>“Ha ha, no shirt,” the twins tease him from their perches on his shoulders as Galo tosses aside his own jacket, and Galo retaliates.  His hands are still up if he’s delivering noogies, right?</p><p>He’s still very prepared to deal with any possible threat to these kids.</p><p>The cave is dark enough that it feels like stepping into a whole other world, and Galo shifts along very carefully.</p><p>“Roci?  Naviah?”</p><p>“We’re here,” Roci calls back, sounding just as nervous.  “We—”</p><p>And suddenly there’s a rush fire fire—neon-hot and shimmering—that, judging by Naviah’s startled yelp, she had nothing to do with for once.  And Galo freezes up, because they’re not alone.</p><p>They’re very, very not alone.</p><p>Dozens of faces peer up at him.  Old, young, in-between—all looking scared and hopeful.</p><p>“So you came,” says a soft, smooth male voice, and something pings in the back of Galo’s head like <em>I know that guy.  </em>And then there’s someone thin and graceful fucking <em>melting out of the shadows behind them</em> and Galo is left prickling all over with the certainty that if this guy did not want them in his cave, they would not have made it inside.</p><p>A second later, he realizes who he’s looking at and stumbles in dismay.</p><p>“Mad Burnish guy?!”  He yelps, as the twins shriek happily,</p><p>
  <em>"Lio!”</em>
</p><p>And Mad Burnish Guy—Helios—Lio, <em>whatever his name is—</em>gets in front of Galo in a flash.  Galo tries to back up, but Lio has scooped the kids up before Galo can do much more than gape.</p><p>“Mimi!  Mikon!  You’re okay!”</p><p>“What the fuck,” Galo says, totally forgetting about how he’s not supposed to swear in front of children.</p><p>Lio’s attention snaps to him and Galo regrets it immensely because one second Lio is all soft eyes and a smile that does uncomfortably warm things to Galo’s chest, and then he is the Mad Burnish leader Galo remembers.  His eyes go razor sharp and he snarls.  He’s still literally holding children and his hands are suddenly full of fire.</p><p>“<em>You</em>.”</p><p>Galo tackles him.  You do <em>not</em> endanger children like that.</p><p>He has the element of surprise on his side, and Lio is also surprisingly tiny without his armor, so Lio goes down.  He goes down cursing like a sailor.</p><p>“Motherfucker!”  Yells Lio.</p><p>“Mr. Thymos!”  Roci yelps, stumbling towards him as Naviah panics.</p><p>“W-wait—”</p><p>“This is Galo!”  Mikon proclaims happily, which effectively kills all the tension.  Galo has managed to wrest away Mimi.  Lio has one arm around Mikon and a handful of fire he is apparently fully intending to fling at Galo’s face.  He freezes.</p><p>Galo also freezes.  Fire is streaming out of both Lio’s hands, including the one he’s holding Mikon with.  Mikon appears completely unbothered by this and is kicking his legs happily. </p><p>“Galo’s our friend,” Mikon continues, “Let’s go again.”  And, “Whee!”</p><p>It’s probably the whee that does it.  Lio and Galo spring apart like they’ve been electrocuted, the flames of their glorious impending battle utterly smothered by an excited little kid.  They’re each holding a child, and staring at each other narrow-eyed.  Roci darts between them.</p><p>“Please don’t hurt Mr. Thymos!”  He squeaks.  “He protected us!”</p><p>“Freeze Force would have gotten all of us if not for him,” Naviah says.  “I’m sorry, Mr. Helios.  But if you threaten Galo, you threaten all of us.”</p><p>Galo has enough presence of mind to be touched.  He didn’t know Naviah even liked him. </p><p>He also has the presence of mind to note that Naviah has literally never called him Mr. Thymos, but Lio instantly commands her respect.</p><p>Dammit.  He’s not even <em>tall</em>!</p><p>Lio is frowning and blinking, and when he looks at Galo there’s this kind of pained quality to it, like he’s trying to stop glaring but his face just doesn’t work that way.  He settles on barking, “Give me the child, Galo Thymos.”</p><p>“No,” Galo says immediately, squashing Mimi closer.  Mimi, who has been mostly shocked into silence for this entire exchange, now abruptly bursts into tears.</p><p> </p><p>And this is how Galo ends up comforting a small crying child with the leader of Mad Burnish, and a camp of terrorists in a cave.  Mimi keeps it up for a good while.  Each time Galo and Lio so much as look at each other, she throws her head back and wails.</p><p>Galo is fairly certain he’s being held hostage by the small, crying child.</p><p>What has he done.  <em>He has created another terrorist.</em></p><p>“I’m not letting them go with you,” Galo tells Lio after Mimi has drifted off into a nap.  Naviah and Roci, apparently convinced that Galo and Lio aren’t about to kill each other, have located the other four teenagers in Lio’s group and now they’re all aggressively pretending to ignore each other.</p><p>Galo crosses his arms and glares.</p><p>“Sucks for you, because it’s not your choice,” Lio snipes back, chin up, and he may not be on fire right now, but his eyes <em>blaze</em>.  “They’re going home to their parents.”</p><p>“Their parents?”  Galo brightens.  “Wait, they’re okay?  They’re at the sanctuary?”</p><p>“Yes,” Lio says, feathers thoroughly ruffled.  “I—their parents were—I broke them out.”</p><p>“That’s great.  And how <em>was</em> prison?”  Galo says, maybe a touch meaner than necessary, but he’s pretty sure he just broke into a full grin at Mimi and Mikon having parents again and he’s trying to put up a tough front here. </p><p>“A breeze,” Lio inspects his fingernails with snide indifference.  “Didn’t even take me a full day to break out.”</p><p>“Well, that explains the checkpoints, then,” Galo snaps.  “They’re hunting them out there right now <em>and it’s all your</em>—”</p><p>Lio flicks fire his way.  Galo ducks.</p><p>“And here you are,” Lio hisses through his teeth.  “Never would have expected you’d be a sympathizer, Mr. World’s Number One Firefighter!”</p><p>“I’m not!”  Galo hisses.  “It’s just—they needed my help.  That’s all!”</p><p>The deadly cold in Lio’s eyes thaws ever so slightly.</p><p>“…Thanks,” Lio says quietly.  “For keeping them safe.  You didn’t have to.”</p><p>“Of course I had to,” Galo mutters back at his shoes.  “That’s what Burning Rescue is for, dammit.  <em>Rescuing people.”</em></p><p>From bad guys, especially.</p><p>Bad guys like Lio, and his dumb fluffy hair.</p><p>“Look,” Lio says, “They’re safer with me than in Promepolis, right?  And hiding them in your house for the rest of their lives isn’t much better than prison.  Assuming you’re smart enough to keep from getting found out.”  He cuts his eyes at Galo.  “…Which I really doubt.”</p><p>Galo bristles.  <em>“Hey.”</em></p><p>Lio holds his hands up.  “I just mean smarter people than you have tried, okay?  Hiding it doesn’t work.”</p><p>And Galo can concede that.  Naviah and Roci are both pretty smart.</p><p>“Yeah, but there’s other people I can talk to,” Galo tries.  “Official people!  They can change things.  Gov Kray can—”</p><p>“Oh god,” Lio scoffs, “You don’t really believe that, do you?”  When Galo frowns at him, inexplicably hurt, Lio just shakes his head.  “Like talking to a brick wall…  Look, you like Promepolis, right?  You like your job?”</p><p>“Obviously!”</p><p>“Well, you can’t have both,” Lio says.  He gestures between where he and Galo are huddled to the campfire and crowd of fugitives behind them.  “It’s either or, Galo Thymos.  There’s no point in trying to coexist.”</p><p>Galo thinks about Roci’s mom and sister.  “You really think you can keep them separate like that?”</p><p>Lio just smirks back.  “They didn’t flare up at your place, right?”</p><p>“Of course not,” Galo snaps.  “It’s unsafe, and—”  And while Galo may be an idiot, he can recognize when he’s just been backed into a corner.  His mouth closes with a click.</p><p>“They pretended to be normal humans for you,” Lio says, “So you wouldn’t throw them out.  It’s what they have to be to earn your goodwill.  And you wouldn’t want them if they were real Burnish for <em>one second</em>.”</p><p>“That’s not true,” Galo grumbles, but he’s not very good with words.  Punching Lio, that he would be good at.  But Mimi is sleeping.  Galo scrubs at his hair instead, frustrated with himself.</p><p>“I want them,” Lio says.  “I don’t care if you believe me or not, but I care about them, fire and all.  I want to give them a place they can be themselves without being afraid.”</p><p>“You want soldiers,” Galo says in a valiant attempt at cynicism.  It makes his mouth taste funny.  And Lio doesn’t even flinch—he just kind of smiles at Galo oddly, like he heard something in Galo’s voice he didn’t expect either.</p><p>“I want them to have homes,” Lio says, “I want them to have a family.  And yeah, I want them to be able to protect themselves, and to understand how to use their powers well enough that they don’t hurt people on accident.”</p><p>It’s all the stuff Galo heard about Helios.</p><p>It sounds… surprisingly convincing even coming out of Lio Fotia’s stupidly pretty mouth.</p><p>“I,” Galo slumps, then sighs unhappily.  “I want them to have that too.”</p><p>He’s not expecting Lio to touch him and he jumps a little when it happens.  Lio’s skin is feverishly warm, even through his gloves.  For a moment, Galo thinks he hears the roar of fire from inside Lio’s very bones.</p><p>“You did well,” Lio says, “You saved them, Galo Thymos.  And now it’s up to me to do my part.”  His mouth quirks.  “You go be you, I guess.  You’re not as bad as I thought you were.”</p><p>“Yeah, I’m awesome,” Galo says immediately.  And then he glares at Lio.  “You’re not the kind of guy I thought you were either.”  Lio blinks.  “I still don’t like you.”</p><p>That makes Lio smile at him.  It’s not a very nice smile.</p><p>“Oh, the feeling is <em>very</em> mutual.”</p><p>Galo stabs a finger towards the kids.  “They have my phone number.  They’re calling me in a week to let me know how things are going and if you do <em>anything</em> suspect—”</p><p>“Get out of here,” Lio interrupts, making a shooing motion with his hands.  “Enough of your pointless threats.”</p><p>“I could kick your ass,” Galo warns.  “Don’t need any fire to do it.”</p><p>“Tempting,” Lio says dryly.  “Please leave.”</p><p>“That just makes me want to stay,” Galo muses.</p><p>Lio’s hand lights on fire.  Yelping, Galo hurries out of the cave.</p>
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